


Like Flowers and Blue Skies

by odyssxus



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Andy is soft for her family, Character Study, F/F, Found Family, Gen, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Acting Like a Married Couple, M/M, Nile Freeman & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani Friendship, Nile Freeman & Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Friendship, Nile Freeman Needs a Hug, POV Nile Freeman, explorations of sexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29503332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odyssxus/pseuds/odyssxus
Summary: Nile thought abruptly back to Princess Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin, and how she used to call her“the most beautifulest person ever”. She thought about her secret crush on Hermione from the Harry Potter series, her frighteningly intense feelings for Dizzy, and even about the random woman at the bar she’d seen, long ago now.  She thought about how kissing boys had felt wrong, even when they had been wonderful people.She thought about how she didn’t want to pretend anymore. Not to herself, and not to her family.~~~Based onTHISkinkmeme prompt for Femslash February.
Relationships: Dizzy Ali/Nile Freeman, Nile Freeman/OFC
Comments: 14
Kudos: 60





	Like Flowers and Blue Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Nile is, without a doubt, my favourite character to write in this fandom (other than Joe), and I loved this prompt so much!! My first crush was either Jasmine or Eris (from Sinbad), so I had to include that bit. 
> 
> Thank you to Popi and Sholeh for giving this a read though, it's much appreciated :) 
> 
> I was listening to [Flowers for Anna by Ames](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXWgkhDG_wI) on repeat while writing this, go check it out!

Nile’s first crush had been on Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. 

The movie itself had come out before she was born, but her parents had bought as many VHS tapes as they could afford so she, and later her brother, could watch them during Chicago’s cold winters. They’d watched The Lion King constantly, and later added other movies to their repertoire. Nile had loved them all. Her brother had liked most of them, but had found the Hunchback of Notre Dame to be a little too frightening. 

Nile had wanted to watch it, but when her brother had started crying their mother had turned it off. 

So they’d put on Aladdin instead. They’d watched it too many times to count, but Nile always loved it. She thought the genie was funny, Abu was amusing, and Aladdin was a great hero. 

But Jasmine had always been her favourite. 

She’d pretended to be her around the house, dressed up as her for Halloween, (which had been difficult to do while wearing a snowsuit, but she had managed) and begged for a Jasmine Barbie for her birthday. Her friends all had favourite princesses of course, but Jasmine was  _ special _ . Nile thought she was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. 

“She’s so pretty mama!” she’d insisted when her mother had asked why she loved Jasmine so much. 

Her mother had laughed and agreed - Jasmine was pretty after all - but left it at that. 

It had never occurred to Nile that there was maybe something more to her adoration of the character, and eventually she’d forgotten about it. She outgrew her dolls, and became obsessed instead with fantasy books. And if she developed a small crush on Hermione Granger, no one needed to know. That was a secret she held close to her chest, and never dared voice out loud. 

She had dated a wonderful boy in highschool. He had been a bit of a nerd (she had been as well), but kind, and someone she got along with well. They’d lost their virginities to each other in their senior year, and while Nile had enjoyed herself, she could remember very clearly thinking that  _ something _ was missing. That  _ something _ just wasn’t quite right. 

They had broken up soon after, though Nile still thought of him fondly, and hoped he was happy with his life. He deserved it. 

She’d dated again in University, but never seriously. Her studies had always come first. She was a good student, and enjoyed learning. And while she enjoyed going on dates, enjoyed sex, and enjoyed going out to clubs, there was always something off. 

She pushed the feeling to the back of her mind, and learned to ignore it. 

She met Dizzy soon after joining the marines, and immediately formed a not-so-little crush on the other woman. She hadn’t thought much of it though. She’d had crushes on women before after all, all through her life. She assumed everyone did. 

Her crush on Dizzy only grew. 

It wasn’t love, not yet, not really, but Nile knew herself well enough to know it could grow to be love. She felt more at peace with the other woman than she ever had with her highschool boyfriend, or any other boy she’d ever dated. 

They experimented once while drinking, making out in a small corner of a bar in some nondescript city. Nile had buried her fingers in the other woman’s hair, breathing in her scent. Heat had pooled in her belly faster than it ever had with men, and Nile had pushed her body close to Dizzy’s, kissing down the long line of her friend's neck, breathing in the scent of her. 

Jay had interrupted them, laughing loudly as she’d come back over with drinks, looking over her shoulder at someone. Nile couldn’t remember who. 

She and Dizzy had never talked about what they’d done. Nile assumed the other woman had forgotten, given how bad her hangover had been the next morning. But Nile couldn’t forget. She would never forget how  _ right _ Dizzy’s body had felt pressed up against her, feeling the soft swell of breasts instead of hard muscles, the curve of a woman’s body under her hands. 

She’d let it go. She had other things to worry about, like going to Afghanistan. 

She’d hugged her mother and brother goodbye without saying anything, as she didn’t really know what to say. She knew that they would accept her no matter what, but she had no idea what she would tell them. She hadn’t really thought of it herself. 

So she left it, holding the feeling close to her chest, right under her ribcage. 

Then she had died, her throat slashed in a hot room in a small village, with Dizzy’s face in front of her. 

She’d thought, for a brief moment before her life had faded, to confess to Dizzy, but couldn’t. Even if her vocal cords had not been severed she wouldn’t be able to form the words. And when she’d woken up the world had been so different, so harsh and cruel, that she hadn’t thought of it again. 

She spared Dizzy one last thought when she’d gone to bed in  Goussainville, mourning for lost possibilities and missed joy. 

__________

  
  


Her new life was too busy to even think about sex. 

They travelled often, moving from place to place easily. Andy sometimes left for weeks on end, leaving her with Joe and Nicky. The men trained her, but also welcomed her kindly, and never made her feel like the ‘newbie’. Even though she was. They told her stories, some so fantastical that she could do little more than laugh, and some so heartfelt she couldn’t help but cry. 

But what she loved most about being with Joe and Nicky though wasn’t the stories, or travelling to places she’d only ever dreamt of, or even the knick knacks they had lying around, but how in love they were. 

They reminded her of her grandparents in many ways. Two halves of the same soul or some sappy shit like that. It was in everything they did - from how Nicky would pour Joe coffee first, to how Joe looked up whenever Nicky entered a room. Their love was real and palatable, in every nook and cranny of their beings. 

Watching them made her feel warm. Their love was the one constant in her new life, and she didn’t think she would ever be tired of seeing them together. It gave her hope that love was real and attainable. 

She knew they had not had an easy path to loving one another, but that somehow made it all the more real. 

She’d  _ also _ learned to listen to music as she fell asleep. She loved them both dearly, but they were like her dads at this point, or her much older brothers, and there were some things she just didn’t want to hear. Ever. 

Andy returned eventually, tanned and with her hair shorn close to her scalp. 

“How’d you like being with these two lovebirds?” she’d teased, eyeing ‘the boys’ with a wide grin, crows feet crinkling happily as she shoved some homemade pastry into her mouth. 

Nile had smiled, and told the ancient woman the truth. That she had loved each and every moment. That Joe and Nicky were incredible. 

She hadn’t missed the looks of relief Joe and Nicky exchanged, or the way Andy’s shoulders seemed to relax 

She vowed never to make Joe or Nicky feel bad about their love. No matter what. 

__________

  
  


“You don’t have to stay with us,” Nicky said kindly, taking a sip of his cocktail. Nile thought it was a Cosmopolitan, something she wouldn’t have expected Nicky to drink. She’d had him pegged as a wine guy, and Joe as a beer guy. 

Joe, at least, had proven her right. He had a strong arm thrown over Nicky’s shoulders, and was deep in conversation with Andy. The woman was drinking tequila straight, and Nile was more than a little frightened of her. 

“I like you guys though,” Nile said with a grin. 

Nicky took another sip of his drink, a soft smile on his face. Nile loved Nicky’s smiles. They made her feel safe and so incredibly loved. He and Joe were just amazing. As was Andy, but Andy still frightened her in a way. 

“You’re going to be stuck with Joe and me for centuries,  _ cara _ ,” Nicky pointed out. “And I’ve seen you eyeing that woman over there. She’s eying you back, if that’s what’s holding you back.” 

Nile looked over to the woman she had, admittedly, been eying for a brief moment, before swinging her gaze back to Nicky. 

His smile faded, and he reached over, brushing a braid over her shoulder. He and Joe had spent the better part of an afternoon installing box braids for her, and Nile still felt weepy when she thought about it. She’d asked them how they’d learned, and they had launched into another story, this one about a young girl they had fostered. There had been grief in the story, as the woman was long since dead, but also joy. Nile hoped she’d be able to talk about her mother and brothers that way someday. 

“We love you, Nile,” he said, taking her hand gently. “We all do.” 

Nile blinked back tears at the acceptance in his voice. 

“I don’t even know…” she trailed off, not sure what she was going to say. The words died the moment she started to say them. 

Joe looked over from his conversation with Andy, grinning widely at her. “Go have fun, Nile!” he said, pulling Nicky a little closer. “We’re being boring.” 

Andy snorted, standing and stretching slowly. “Speak for yourselves,” she scolded. “I’m plenty fun.” 

Nile laughed. Joe and Nicky were that old married couple and knew it, while Andy was certainly more wild. 

Joe laughed loudly and happily. “Sure, boss,” he teased. 

Andy rolled her eyes and stalked away. Nile decided she didn’t want to know what the other woman was going to get up to. 

Nicky squeezed her hand again. “We would love for you to stay with us -” 

“- but won’t be offended if you go have some fun. We know you love us, kid.” Joe finished. 

Nile shook her head. “I like spending time with the two of you,” she protested honestly. 

Joe grinned. “And we love spending time with you. But don’t want to hold you back.” 

Nile finished her beer. “You’re not,” she promised. “I…” she trailed off. “I’d rather stay with you two right now, unless you want some time alone. Then I can totally clear off.” She wiggled her eyebrows to show that she wouldn’t be offended if they did want some to themselves, but was also feeling suddenly fragile and unsure of herself, and didn’t want to be alone. 

No matter how stunning the woman at the bar was. 

Her emotions were a mess, and she didn’t want to deal with them. Not now. She knew she would have to at some point, but not tonight. Tonight she wanted to enjoy the live music and be with her new family. She felt safe with Joe and Nicky, and knew herself well enough to know that’s what she needed. 

Joe smiled at her, eyes kind, and Nile knew he and Nicky understood. 

“Wing eating contest then?” he asked. 

She laughed, snorting when Nicky rolled his eyes to the ceiling. 

“You’re on, old man!” she grinned. 

Nicky mumbled something under his breath in a language Nile did not understand, but she knew him well enough to figure out he was making a comment about the food. She didn’t mind - it was part of his charm. She’d had a lot of fun eating frozen pizza, just to see his reaction. 

“Old man!” Joe laughed, white teeth flashing behind his well groomed beard. “Just for that, I’m not going to go easy on you!” 

Nile stuck out her tongue, but felt considerably lighter. 

She had all the time in the world to figure things out. Right now she wanted to spend time with her new family, feeling loved and safe. Not worrying about whether or not she liked women. 

Nicky smiled at her again, kind and soft, and Nile leaned over to kiss his cheek, then Joe’s. 

She really did love them. 

Even if Joe was going to go down. 

__________

Several months later she was feeling a little braver, and a lot more comfortable with herself, and went home with a woman about five years her senior. She was alone this time. Andy had managed to catch a small cold and been ordered to sleep by Nicky (who apparently had several medical degrees), and the men had decided to stay in and watch a movie. When she’d left they’d been talking in the kitchen, trying to figure out what to watch. 

Nile had considered staying, but the urge to explore had won out. 

She knew there would come a time when she’d want to stay in, when exploring a new city wasn’t such a big draw, but she hoped that was a long way away. Joe and Nicky still explored after all, and they were nearly 1,000. 

She took an uber downtown, deciding against figuring out a foreign transit system, and soon lost herself in the tourist district. She spoke with a group of Canadian backpackers, some random Australian men, and one older American woman, before meeting  _ her _ . 

“You look a little lost.” 

Nile didn’t startle, not after training with Andy, Joe, and Nicky, but she came close. She turned to see a beautiful woman about her height, with chin length auburn hair and warm brown eyes. 

Nile smiled. “Not lost,” she said. “Just not sure what I’m looking for exactly.” 

The woman grinned, showing the gap in her front teeth. Nile fell slightly in love right there and then. 

“Can I buy you a drink?” 

“Only if I can buy you one after,” Nile responded. 

The woman laughed. “Sure thing,” she said, walking with Nile over to a secluded seat at the bar, off to the side and away from the crowds. “I’m Piper.” 

“Nile!” 

Piper grinned again, hair falling into her dark eyes. Nile wanted to run her hands through it. “Nice to meet you, Nile! Now, what are you drinking?” 

When they tumbled into bed together later that night in Piper’s flat, Nile felt nervous for a brief moment, realising abruptly that she wasn’t actually sure what to do. 

“I’ve never…” 

Piper held a finger to her lips, swinging a leg across Nile’s lap and grinding down. Nile moaned, hands coming up to grip her hips. 

“We all start somewhere,” Piper said, her Irish accent strong. “I know I did once. Just promise you’ll tell me if I do something you don’t like, yeah?” 

Nile leaned forwards to kiss her, moving her hands from Piper’s hips to finally run through her auburn hair. It was as soft as it looked. “As long as you promise the same,” she insisted when they broke apart. 

Piper nodded. “Sounds like a plan, beautiful,” she grinned, before moving her hands to cup Nile’s chest, circling her hips at the same time. 

The next morning Nile felt as though her heart could burst. She’d enjoyed sex before, usually, but she’d never felt so complete. She’d just assumed it wasn’t her thing, even after her make out session with Dizzy. But she knew better now. 

She and Piper made breakfast together, exchanging lazy kisses and funny anecdotes, before parting ways. Nile knew she likely wouldn’t see the woman again, but somehow didn’t mind. Piper kissed her when she left, giving her an old travel mug full of strong coffee. 

Nile would end up keeping the mug for decades, smiling every time she used it, thinking back to a kind Irish woman with a gap-toothed smile and a laugh like the sun. 

When she made it back to the safehouse Andy was asleep on the sofa, one arm over her eyes, and Joe was sketching at the kitchen table while Nicky baked focaccia. Her mouth watered at the smell of rosemary and olive oil. 

Nicky noticed her first, sending her one of his small smiles. “Pass the salt?” he asked, nodding towards it. 

Nile handed it over, hopping up to sit on the counter. She loved watching Nicky or Joe cook. It made her feel at home. 

Andy  _ couldn’t _ cook, though would happily do the shopping if she knew someone else would make a meal for her. Booker, apparently, could cook, but it wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed, while Quynh had only been able to cook extraordinarily spicy meals. 

Joe and Nicky, however, enjoyed making meals. Apparently cooking together had helped them grow closer after their first deaths all those years ago, and they had kept up the tradition. 

Nile was quite happy with that. It made her feel more at home, and she got to eat some amazing food. It was a win-win in her books. She would cook as well, usually meals her mother and grandmother had made for her growing up. It had been hard at first, making things that brought back memories of her old life, but it had helped. 

“Can I help?” she asked, peering at the dough curiously. 

Nicky shook his head. “In a bit,” he replied. “I’m done for now.”

“How was your night, kid?” Joe asked, not even bothering to look up from his sketchbook. Nile wasn’t offended - she could be the same way when she tried to draw. 

“It was actually great,” Nile said, grinning widely. 

Joe looked up, looking pleased, and Nicky smiled at her. 

“Good! You deserve a night away from us old people.” Joe chuckled. 

Nile rolled her eyes, but was grinning. She debated briefly on telling them about Piper - she knew she would get nothing but support from them, as well as from Andy and (eventually) Booker - but wanted to keep it to herself for now. 

“What movie did you end up watching?” Nile asked. 

Nicky said something in a language Nile did not yet understand, sounding incredibly annoyed. Joe just smirked. Nile decided right there and then she didn’t want to know. 

“I’m gonna go shower,” she said, leaving the kitchen at a near run when she noticed Joe eyeing Nicky’s ass. There were some things she just didn’t want or need to see. 

Andy was awake when she entered the living room on her way upstairs, stretching luxuriously. 

“They being all cute again?” she asked with a yawn. 

Nile nodded. “Always.” 

Andy looked towards the kitchen with an almost wistful look on her face, eyes soft. She loved Joe and Nicky (as well as Booker and Quynh) desperately, and Nile knew the ancient women was incredibly happy they had each other. 

“Good night?” 

Nile nodded. It had been amazing. 

Andy eyed her for a long moment, before shaking her head. “Go shower kid,” she said. “You look like you were up late.” 

Nile rolled her eyes but went, Piper’s travel mug still clutched in her hands. 

__________

  
  


They had just finished a job, and Nile had managed to convince Andy to give them a break. Once she’d got Joe and Nicky on her side it had been easy. Andy may look and act tough, but she was a sucker for her family. 

Especially when they all gave her their best puppy dog eyes. 

They were on Hvar this time, a stunning Croatian Island in the Adriatic. They’d wandered around, taking in the beautiful town and eating far too much ice cream, before stopping at a waterfront bar. Andy had quickly rented them several lounge chairs under an umbrella and settled down with a beer, looking like she wasn’t planning on moving any time soon. 

Joe and Nicky, being Joe and Nicky, shared a chair, leaving the third one for her. 

She pulled hers out into the sun, basking in the welcome heat. She wanted to stay here forever, listening to the crashing waves, the low hum of voices, and the music drifting over from the bar. 

“I’m grabbing more drinks,” Joe said several hours later. “Want anything?” 

“Another beer,” Andy said, sounding half asleep. 

“You pick for me, love,” Nicky said, reaching for the sunscreen and turning to Andy. Nile didn’t envy him. Andy seemed to forget that she wouldn’t heal instantly from a burn now, and despised putting sunscreen on. She and Nicky had fought about it several times already, and Nile suspected they were about to fight again. 

“Nile?” Joe asked, ignoring the drama. 

“A cider please!” she said. 

Joe nodded, leaving for the bar. 

Nile closed her eyes again, willfully ignoring the fast past argument beside her. She wanted no part in convincing Andy to wear the sunscreen. Nicky was right, or course, but Andy was like a force of nature. Nile had no interest in getting involved in  _ that _ . 

Joe came back several minutes later, somehow carrying four drinks without spilling a drop. He handed Andy her beer first, before giving Nicky (who had, somehow, won the argument) a glass of white wine. He handed Nile a cider, and kept the other for himself. 

“Thanks!” she grinned. 

Joe just nodded, sliding back onto the lounge chair, bending his knees comfortably. Nicky leaned against them, tilting his face up to the sun. 

“The bartender asked about you,” Joe told her, rolling his head to the side. He looked at her over his sunglasses, eyes warm. “None of us will blame you if you go off and talk to him.” 

Nicky took a sip of his wine, glancing over to the bar curiously from behind his sunglasses. 

“Well, he’s good at mixing drinks at least,” he said. Nile glanced over to where the unsuspecting man was expertly pouring some vividly pink concoction into a tall glass, a charming smile on his admittedly handsome face. 

Nile paused for a second, before shaking herself. She knew she had nothing to fear, not from her family, but it was instinctual to hoard this close. It had been something just for her for so long now, and saying anything out loud seemed wrong. 

But she loved and trusted Andy, Joe, and Nicky. She didn’t want to hide from them. Or from herself. 

She abruptly thought back to Princess Jasmine, on how she used to call her  _ “the most beautifulest person ever!” _ . She thought about Dizzy, about Piper, and even about the woman at the bar, long ago now. She thought about how kissing boys had felt wrong, even when they had been wonderful people. 

She thought about how she didn’t want to pretend. Not to herself, and not to her family. 

She may not be able to tell her mother, or her brother, anymore, but she could tell her new family. She could tell the people who had shown, time and time again, that they loved her for who she was. They’d already seen her checking out that woman at the bat all those months ago after all, even though they hadn’t brought it up again. She could be herself with them - she didn’t have to pretend. 

Not anymore. 

“Nah, he’s cute and all, but I’m not interested in men.” 

Joe laughed, a warm sound that felt like a hug. “Well, I can’t say I get that,” he teased, leaning forwards to run a hand through Nicky’s hair, “but good for you.” 

Nicky gave her a small smile, his eyes boring into her very soul. He clearly was able to understand just how hard that had been for her to say, and how much of a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled back at him, fighting back tears. 

Andy just snorted. “Women are better,” she yawned, one arm thrown over her eyes, her beer wet with condensation in her other hand. “But some men are okay.” 

Joe growled in fake anger, turning towards Andy. 

Nicky reached over, grasping Nile’s hand gently. Nile threaded her fingers with his, feeling like she could fly. 

“Thank you,” Nicky said simply. 

“I feel like I should be saying that to you,” Nile said, feeling slightly confused, but still incredibly loved. She had known they would be accepting of her, but it had still been incredibly difficult to say. 

Nicky shook his head, somehow ignoring Joe moving behind him as he argued more vehemently with Andy. Nile didn’t even know what language they were using anymore. 

“Thank you for trusting us,” he explained. “It is an honour.” 

Nile’s eyes burned with tears, but she blinked them away. This wasn’t the time for crying. “Of course I trust you guys!” 

Joe reentered the conversation. “Just don’t trust Andy,” he said, though his eyes were as kind and gentle as Nicky’s. “She’ll lead you astray.” 

“I knew Sappho, Yusuf!” Andy hissed, sitting up. “What do you mean I’ll lead her astray?” 

Nile laughed out loud, shaking her head at Andy’s antics. 

Joe just raised an eyebrow. “I said what I said.” 

Nicky rolled his green eyes when Joe and Andy got into it again, still holding her hand. 

“We love you,” he told her simply. 

“I love you guys too,” she said, leaning forwards to press a kiss on his scruffy cheek. 

He squeezed her hand affectionately before letting go. “Go and have fun,  _ tesoro _ ,” he ordered. “You deserve it.” 

Nile finished the last of her cider, breathing deeply. “I think I will,” she mused. There was a waterfront club beside the more chill bar they were relaxing at, and Nile knew she would enjoy herself. She didn’t know if she would meet anyone, but she liked having the option. 

Nicky gave her a rare grin. “Good,” he said, sounding pleased. 

Joe interrupted his playful argument long enough to tell her to have fun, before returning to Andy. Andy, true to form, didn’t stop lecturing Joe, but she did give Nile a supportive smile, so Nile took it as a win. 

She also made a mental note to talk to Andy about Sappho as soon as she could. 

She left for the club feeling happy and light as air, and when she met a woman with a wide smile and long dark hair she didn’t feel the usual stirring of guilt. She only felt joy. 

They danced for hours, before Nile accompanied her back to her hotel, making love on the balcony under the light of the moon. When morning came she looked up to the deep blue sky, the scent of flowers and strong coffee in her nose, and felt completely at peace with herself for the first time she could remember. 

She was under no illusion that immortality would be easy, or that her life would be without sorrow and pain, but she knew there would also be light and love and laughter. She had a family that loved and accepted her (though she was well aware that they were missing two members, and their absence cut deeply), and she was learning to love herself as well. 

The other woman walked back out onto the balcony, wearing a fluffy hotel robe, pot coffee in hand. Nile grabbed the carafe from her and put it on the nearby table, before pulling her down into another kiss, hands sneaking into her robe. 

The woman laughed, eyes dancing, and kissed her back. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you thought, I love reading comments, especially on fics like this :) It's definitely one that's close to my heart!


End file.
